SOL RALLY BARBADOS OVERSUBSCRIBED

The response from local, regional and international competitors over the past five months to Sol Rally Barbados 2010 has made it clear that the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) was not alone in wanting to mark the 20th Anniversary of the inaugural running of its International All-Stage Rally in style.
In all, 108 entries were received on-line between December and the April closing date – 20 per cent over-subscribed – although the continuing pressures of recession have caused some withdrawals, among them four from Europe and two from the wider Caribbean; even so, the event looks set to start the maximum of 90 cars, including current or former Champions from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and the UK.
A shift in the calendar for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge means the winner for the past two years, Ireland’s Kris Meeke, can’t make it, but the runner-up on both occasions, 2005 UK National Champion Paul Bird, can . . . and victory on the Manx National Rally last weekend (May 7/8) in his Ford Focus WRC 08 has given his hopes a timely boost.
After his second consecutive win on the island, he said: “The Manx has a special place in my heart, so it's wonderful to come here and win again; this is very special as I've not had the best of times just recently. This is hopefully a good omen for Sol Rally Barbados, which I desperately want to win . . . so that's the next task later this month. For now, I'm taking the team out for a few beers as they've done a fantastic job as always."
Ten-time winner, local ace Roger Skeete, heads the entry list and, while the elusive target of 10 ex-factory World Rally Cars has once again been narrowly missed, this year’s crop of cars is newer, and more evenly matched. Skeete failed to finish last year, but not before his ex-Petter Solberg 2006 Subaru Impreza WRC S12 had proved its pace . . . and he’s won two events already this year. Also S12-mounted is Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell, who finished second in ’05 and ’07 in Toyota Corolla WRCs. One of those Corollas is now in the hands of local ace Roger Hill, whose record on the island’s premier event includes 13 top 10 finishes.
In addition to ‘Birdy’s current Focus, the ’07 car in which he chased Meeke last year is now campaigned by Bajan Paul Bourne, winner of RB03 and ’07 in Impreza WRCs. The earlier cars of Jamaicans Gary Gregg and Jeff Panton, both previous winners in the island, bring the Focus total to four. Gregg’s ’05 car replaced the ex-Carlos Sainz Focus in which he became the only driver so far to win Rally Barbados and Rally Jamaica in the same year (2006), while Panton’s ex-Colin McRae example dates from 2000.
Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale said: “It is wonderful to see such a quality entry at the sharp end - there are no fewer than six cars capable of winning this event outright. When you take into account an unwanted spin or a start-line stall, it is anyone's guess how the podium will look come Monday, May 31st. We definitely look set to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Barbados Rally Club’s premier event in style.”
As in 2009, the overseas entries spread right through the field – only two of the 13 classes will be without a battle between local drivers and regional or international visitors – and include two notable drivers from the UK: Martin Stockdale celebrates his 10th consecutive year as a competitor in Barbados, while Howard Paterson returns after a long break – he was the first European visitor to claim a result on the island’s premier event, back in 1991, when he finished ninth.

Sol Rally Barbados 2010 provisional entry headline statistics:
+ 93 crews entered, including reserves
+ drivers or co-drivers from 14 nations, including Barbados
+ 21 four-wheel-drive cars, including nine World Rally Cars
+ 35 drivers or co-drivers from Europe
+ 17 drivers or co-drivers from the wider Caribbean
+ 17 female co-drivers
+ cars from 19 manufacturers, Ford and Toyota equally the best-represented with 19, followed by Mitsubishi (13), BMW (8) and Subaru (6)

Sol Rally Barbados 2010 (May 29/30) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 23) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol Group. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, LIME, Automotive Art, Banks and Karcher; official partners are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Authority, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line and Virgin Atlantic Airways; associate sponsors are Stoute’s Car Rental, Glacial Pure, Chefette and Little Switzerland.

For further information:
media contact – robin@bradfax.com